Ruby Shadows Read online

  “What in the name of Lucifer?” he growled.

  “Stay back from me or I’ll do it again, you nasty bastard!” I gasped, though I had no idea how I had done what I had done in the first place. “I’ll fry you like a fucking piece of bacon!”

  “You can’t!” Druaga drew back, his muddy eyes uncertain.

  “I can! Laish taught me everything he knew about words of power,” I lied recklessly. “If he was here now—”

  “Well, he’s not,” Belial thundered, glaring at me. “And he never will be again, thanks to you, you filthy little mortal!” He nodded at the guards who were still holding me, although not as tightly as before. “Someone gag her. That should stop any further displays while Druaga finishes her punishment.”

  I opened my mouth to shout again but a hot, hard palm slapped over my face before I could speak.

  “Now, Druaga,” Belial said, an evil grin curling the corners of his thin, blue lips. “You may proceed.”

  “I will.” The boar-headed demon got back into position between my thighs. “I’m going to have fun with this little bitch. And since Lord Laish isn’t here to stop me—”

  “Oh, but he is.”

  The low, familiar voice came as a shock to more than just me. Every head in the room jerked up, including mine. To my mingled relief and astonishment, I saw Laish standing in the doorway of the plush boardroom. He was wearing an immaculate three piece suit and a look of utter rage on his face. But when he spoke, his voice came out cold and terribly quiet.

  “Druaga,” he said softly. “Take your hands off Gwendolyn and step away from her now or suffer the consequences.”

  * * * * *

  Laish

  How can I express my rage at seeing those filthy hands on the woman I loved? Words cannot express it. I wanted to kill every last one of them—to maim and rend—to tear out their hearts and burn them at their feet. A crude solution, perhaps, but doubtless an effective one.

  I restrained myself with some effort. Gwendolyn had been subjected to enough already. All I wanted now was to get her out of here once and for all and see her safely home to the Mortal Realm.

  “My Lord Laish,” Druaga sputtered, stepping quickly away from my little witch. “We were told…we thought…”

  “I can see well enough what you thought.” Striding past him, I gripped Gwendolyn under the arm and pulled her behind me, shielding her with my body. I could feel her trembling as she tried to get herself together. The fear and anxiety coming from her in waves only increased my rage.

  “My Lord,” Belial began. “The Mirror of the Eye showed—”

  “The Mirror showed what—that I was dead? Or gone beyond recovering?” I glared at him. “And you thought the best way to react to my death was to hurt the woman I love?” I shook my head. “Words cannot express the depth of this betrayal—I trusted you, my old Master. I told Gwendolyn to go to you for safe passage back to her home. And how do you repay my trust? By giving her to this…this beast?”

  I nodded in disgust at Druaga. The boar-headed demon was still standing there with his member in one hand. Now he rather unwisely began to talk.

  “She stole what was mine! I was taking the compensation awarded by the Council,” he snorted. “It is my right—”

  “You have no right to the woman I love.” With a flick of my wrist, I caused the black-bladed thrak to appear in my hand.

  Druaga’s eyes widened when he saw the weapon.

  “You can’t use that on me! You have no soul to wield it with.”

  “Are you certain about that?” I took a step towards him, holding the thrak out before me.

  His face filled with fear, but still he didn’t have the sense to shut up.

  “Even if you could, a soul-killer is forbidden! It is against the law!”

  “Have you forgotten who is Lord of this realm?” I demanded in a low voice. “I am the law.”

  With ruthless pleasure, I plunged the dagger into the blackened husk of his heart. It took almost everything I had left of the piece of soul I had stolen, but I felt the blade do its work before I withdrew it.

  With an agonized cry, Druaga stumbled backwards and burst into black flames. They sprouted from his one remaining tusk first. Then, as he tried frantically to beat them out, they spread to his hands and then his arms, flowing like oil along his skin and clothing. At last he was completely consumed—a shrieking ball of black fire, staggering around the room trying desperately to put himself out.

  I knew he would not be successful. Nor would death end his burning. Even after he was completely consumed, his essence would writhe forever in the Lake of Fire—entombed for eternity in unspeakable agony. It was the fate that awaited every demon when he died and I was pleased to inflict it on Druaga now.

  At last his struggles were over and he was no more than a pile of ashes on the marble floor and a cloud of foul smelling smoke which I waved away with a word. I turned to Belial and the rest of the Council and held out the thrak.

  “Would any of you care to be next?”

  “My Lord!” Belial sounded aghast. “You cannot threaten the Council!”

  “And why not?” I demanded. “Only moments ago they were threatening Gwendolyn. Not a one of them lifted a finger to protect her from Druaga—yourself included. In fact, you gave her to him.”

  “My Lord, please,” the old demon pleaded. “I know you are upset but listen to reason—you only think you love this mortal female! She has bewitched you—around her hangs the scent of the Eternal Flame!”

  I gave a short laugh. “Is that what you think?”

  “It is what I know.” Belial looked at me earnestly, in the way which used to move my heart. Now it did nothing but make me angry. “Please, my Lord,” he groveled. “She nearly killed you with her feminine wiles—please, see reason!”

  “The only thing I see is someone I once cared for who is now nothing to me,” I told him coldly. “Go, Belial. For the sake of our shared past, I will not kill you. But you are banished from my realm henceforward and forevermore.”

  “But my Lord,” he whined. “I am old…all of my books, my study materials are here. I cannot simply leave. I’d be torn to pieces the minute I left Dis!”

  “That is not my concern,” I said. “Go now or I will let Gwendolyn ‘fry you like a piece of bacon’ as I believe I heard her say earlier.”

  Whining and muttering to himself, the old demon hunched his way out of the Council room door. As he left, he threw one last baleful glance over his humped shoulder at Gwendolyn.

  She lifted her chin and glared back at him, clutching her torn shirt tightly to her breasts. I was glad to see her composure had returned though I could still feel a slight tremor running through her. I longed to take her in my arms and comfort her but I knew she would not want any comfort I could offer. Besides, I had one last matter to attend to first.

  I turned to the Council.

  “You are all dismissed. Go and never return to my realm.”

  There were mutters of disbelief and rage and some threatened to speak to Lucifer himself.

  “Speak to him then.” I raised the thrak menacingly. “I care not. Only get out of my sight before I decide Druaga needs company in the Lake of Fire.” It was an empty threat—I had only a shred left of the soul I had stolen and it was far too precious to me to waste it on any of them.

  The members of the Council did not know that, however. My words got them moving with admirable alacrity, considering their age. Casting frightened glances at the thrak I held, they shuffled quickly from the room.

  When they were gone at last with the door slammed shut behind them, I turned to Gwendolyn.

  “Mon ange,” I said, unable to help using my old nickname for her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she said and then burst into tears.

  “Gwendolyn…” I knew I had no right to comfort her but I couldn’t help myself. I drew her into my arms and held her close to my chest, feeling the connection between us t